Merry Christmas 2008

Merry Christmas everyone, I am writing the ubiquitous Christmas letter, not to brag or anything, just to catch anybody up on the Miller family.

I keep a journal for the year, and it even suprises me the trials and joys we have been through this year.

In February I turned 38. A little older and a little wiser, I hope. I had a growth removed from my uvula (look it up, genius) which was quite the ordeal. Let's just say the old gag reflex works fine, thank you. We also found out we we were having a boy that month. I guess you could say I was happy about it. Samuel Watterson Miller had a name. That same month, the boys from the Brad Pitt movie "The Tree of Life" came out for a little horseback activity and 'team building.'

In March I attended a B-2 reunion in College station and saw a few of my Aggie Buddies. That month we also hosted Cowgirl Weekend for 2008. Despite some hellacious weather and kitchen nightmares, we survived and I hope all had a good time.We sold some of our older bulls and began the process of buying some new ones, including a cream Charolais and about 20 Brangus pairs from Gonzales.

Our Frio trip in May was a welcome relief before summer really kicked in. Although the old Frio was low, it was nice and cool.

In June, we had a small cutting of hay on the Eastland place, and it looked like we might not get any more. Of course, the Big Event of the year was Sam's birth on July 3. 9 lbs of beautiful baby boy. We are blessed. Callie went to Alto Frio camp in Leakey for almost a week. She had a great time.

In September I had my wisdom teeth out. Thanks, Dr. McBee.

October was the beginning of the downturn in the livestock market. Calves that had brought $1.05 a pound were now bringing 70 cents. The election looms. Who will it be?As it turns out, it wasn't even close. The pendulum swings back toward the left. So here we are, looking at 2009, another year of life and love out here in Watterson,. Tx.From all of us Callie, Cate, Sam, Scott and Trina, God bless and keep you all!Merry Christmas!

howdy

Howdy everybody!
I know I've been remiss in the blog, but so it goes when there is a 2 month (almost 3) baby boy in the house.
So what's been going on here on the ranch?
Well, let's see...
I got 2 wisdom teeth removed by the wonderful Dr. Mcbee in Smithville.
I'm not being sarcastic (for once). I had a small cavity on the side on a wisdom tooth, so the best option was to take them out. The thought of that stressed me out, but the actual extraction was a breeze. The recovery was a bitch, though. I guess I am a big baby, but the following week I was a pill poppin' daddy. Norco was my friend.
During that time, our hopes for a little moisture were dashed as Ike moved from west to east to no chance we were getting any rain. I know the poor people of Galveston would have spared a few inches if they could have, but we saw nary a drop.
In the days prior to Ike's landfall, I, like many of my neighbors, furiously prepared the ground and planted winter grass in anticipation of the 'sure thing,' but all we got was a
little wind. Hopefully a little rain this fall will bring on the rye and oats I put out.

SWM

At St. Davids Hospital in Austin, Tx is a chair.
It is a sturdy nondescript stainless steel chair that is the reserved place for fathers before
they are allowed into the O.B. surgery room.
The chair faces a wall with 3 sinks that have the knee levers so the surgeons can wash their hands without turning a faucet.
Above the sinks are shelves filled with medicines with 23-letter names in bottles and boxes and bags.
This is where I found myself last Thursday at 2:46 pm.
I had been in that chair before on December 8, 2004, when Cate was born.
And the thoughts that go through your mind when you are in that chair.
I wondered how many fathers to be contemplated all the hopes and fears that laid in the room behind the doors just to one side of the chair.
Did they say a prayer to be strong and not to get a head rush when they stood up, so
they would not crumple to the ground?
Or were they strong assured everything was going to be all right.
As I was lost in these thoughts, a voice jolted me out of my musings.
"Mr. Miller, are you ready to see your son?"
I followed the doctor through the doors.
At 3:08 p.m. Samuel Watterson Miller took his first breath.
I forgot all about the chair.

summer in May

News flash.
It's hot.
Summer is about here but early.
We had our Frio river trip early, so that kinda deflates those dreams I have on a hot
summer day when me and Pancho are packing herbicide backpacks walking up and
down the hills spraying mesquites, the endless summer war we wage.
Goes with the territory. I guess. I try to arrange hot jobs like that to be done by the heat of the day, but of course sometimes we just have to suck it up and get the job done.
Until we get some decent rain, hay will have to wait. So we are battling the weeds and mesquite trees until our hay (hopefully) greens up.
Pray for rain!

little house on the prairie

What have I been doing?
Well, our project for March (besides the usual ranch stuff, painting the girls' rooms and making room for baby Sam) was moving a little house to the property.
Sounds easy, right?
This little cabin was 12x15. Not a big house, so with the help of a friend's backhoe, the plan was to lift the house, back my trailer, set down the house and keep it under 80 on the way home. Hold up cowboy. Watch out for the sidewalk. Oh yes, there is a septic tank 10 feet on the other side. And also 20 crepe myrtles all surrounding our house.
Well, after the backhoe was not going to lift the house from one side successfully (at least without crushing in one side) we decided a little help was needed with a Bobcat, which did the trick. I only hit a few limbs on the way home, but I noticed a few dozen angry drivers behind me as I turned on Watterson Rd. Anyway we made it, and thanks to Rob and Sherry, Dal and Daniel for all the help. And also David Mcadams for solving the mystery of the tripping breaker. We Think we'll use it as a guest room/B&B/Scott's doghouse(haha) or something . Anyway, we are just about through and as you can see,
Trina did the interior design. All we need is a name, so if anybody could suggest something catchy...

april blog

Sorry its been so long. I really have been pretty busy.

Last week we have been doing our spring calf working.

I've been buying some bulls and replacement cows for the

ranch and been doing a bit of travelling in the process.

This is one part of the business I particularly enjoy.

The connections in the industry are more like old friends.

most of the breeders and cattle buyers we deal with have

been family friends for years. It's good to catch up with

them, see what's been going on since the last time we did

business.

It's estimated that only 1% of the population makes their

living solely from the land. A large number have cattle or

farm with one spouse working a town job. One of my

mentors was lamenting the fact that the auction runs were

down from the lack of cattle left in the country. I read

today that the 2007 U.S. calf crop was the smallest it's

been in 56 years. Corn is upwards of $5 a bushel. I don't

need to tell you about fuel and fertilizer.

With the price of real estate rising, after grandpa dies,

many of the kids sell the old home place and move on. To

me that is sad. To many, its just the smartest financial

decision. Some say if what you do doesn't consistently

turn a good profit, it's a hobby. To me, yes you have to

make a dollar, but there is a thing called tradition and

legacy and way of life. These things will get us ranchers

through the hard times. And a little help from Above

couldn't hurt.

Also, who's been eating my sandwich?

It was BEEF, America, BEEF!!!

Boozin' B class of '93

I went to a outfit reunion this weekend in College Station.
For the uninformed, an 'outfit' is a Corps of Cadets unit at
Texas A&M University, roughly organized into a company
like an Army company of soldiers.
My class (1993) started with 25 freshmen or 'fish,' and
graduated 17, which for the Corps is a pretty high
percentage. My outfit has a long history of name changes,
with guys representing classes from the 60's and forward.
The longest slogan for company B-2 was Boozin' B, the
company that made Milwuakee famous. We were the
Boozers until 1994, when the name changed to the
Buzzards, then disbanded and now is back as the more PC,
B-2 Patriots. Gone is the Confederate flag emblazoned on
a wooden beer keg, replaced with a cavalry soldier with a
flag on a horse. I guess the powers that be decided the

image of a bunch of beer-swilling rebel hooligans was not
in line with the 'world class' University that A&M stides to
be.
But you know, looking over these guys at the reunion,
even the young cadets presently in B-2, all have that same
audacity that makes them successful. I think we need a
little of that to overcome the obstacles in life. Yes , they
may raise a little hell, maybe drink a beer, maybe pull
some outlandish pranks, torture and haze underclassmen,
but these are guys that have fought in the jungles of
Vietnam, rolled through Bagdad in tanks and gone after
the Taliban. They have risen up the corporate ladders,
started their own companies, taken risks, and become
leaders in industry, government and agriculture.
I am proud to say I am one of these. We are Aggies. We
don't always do the culturally acceptable thing. We
wouldn't have it any other way.
GIG 'Em!!
p.s, My buddy Dr. David Webb, DVM brought his 1977 Lincoln Continental convertible so guess what we cruised aroud all weekend in?

oh boy!

We are a living Bible verse.

The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want.

Any dad who never says he'd like a son is fooling himself.

One of my heart's desires was to have a son.

Now that I will, I shall not want for a son.

I was always a little jealous of my bro getting 2 boys!

(sorry Tim!) I love my daughters and would have been

geniunely happy with another girl, but there was that

secret desire to have a boy of my own. There's that whole

'carrying on the family name' bit, but its more elemental.

I'm still processing it all.

When you think of the valley of the shadow of death we

literally went through last year, it's amazing to see not

only we made it to the other side, but the sun is shining

brightly, and we really have no want.

Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me.

You better believe it.

I need this horn

38 years old

I turn 38 on Feb 3.
Some interesting things have happened on this day in history.
In 1882, P.T. Barnum bought Jumbo the elephant.
1964 "Meet the Beatles" album goes gold.
1967 "Purple Haze" recorded by Jimi Hendrix.
And in 1979 the beloved "YMCA" reaches #2 on the pop singles charts.
I share a birthday with
Norman Rockwell -1894
Charlie "Pretty Boy" Floyd-1904
Henry Heimlich-1920 (Heimlich maneuver inventor)
Mr. Rogers-1928 Can you say aquarium? ah-kwar-ee-um, that's right. Very good. I knew you could do it,
You are special. Can you say special? Good, now let's get on the trolley to make-believe land.
Also, Blythe Danner, Nathan Lane and Morgan Fairchild.
It is also the "day the music died."
1959 when Ritchie Valens and the big Bopper's plane crashed. Bummer.
As a kid I wondered what I would be like as a grownup. And in many ways (ask my wife) I am still a kid.
I have a great privilidge and resposibility, running this ranch. I feel the weight of 5 generations looking over my shoulder and telling me, "We put our best years in this endeavor, now the torch is yours. What will you do with it?"
For all the trials of running a ranch, the one thing my grandpa always touted was the fact that there was always a variety of things to keep you busy. I find that to be very true.
Yesterday Pancho and I were fixing a stretch of fence where some outlaw strays had broke through onto our place. Then that afternoon, I was in Lockhart at the sale barn looking at some cattle, then to Home Depot for some parts, and then back home to put out some hay for a group of crazy heifers.
You kind of plan your day out, but sometimes, it plans itself. You have to be flexible in this business. You can't say, '10 oclock, time for my coffee break,' or 'it's 5, lets throw this down and leave it till tomorrow', or 'I'm not woring on the weekends, it's my time off.' All that goes with the territory.
But, its all worth it. As I write this, I see the sun coming up out of the eastern sky. I see God at work when that baby calf takes his first step, when the grass is greening up, when the cold front blows through you and you feel the winds turn around from the north. When it rains.
That's all the birthday present I need.

ice from sky

An unusual thing happened last friday here on the ranch.
A frozen ice missile plummeted to the ground and embedded itself about 6 inches in the ground. I descibed it as pumpkin-sized and would have certainly been the end of anyone unlucky enough to be under it.
The thories abounded. Was it a meteor? Was it a large piece of hail?
Did it come off a plane? Or was it a tragic Slurpee malfunction? We may never know.
We're just glad we could laugh about it and not cry about this thing really ruining somebody's day.