It was -25 when our cows started calving. Billie and I managed to get ol’ # 49 into the barn just after the water bag broke and then found # 117 way down in the bush with a live calf. She’s such great ol’ cow. I pushed the calf along behind her and she kept looking back to make sure we were still coming as I herded them into another box stall. The two calves were born within 30 minutes of each other. That was interesting because we tried out a yearling bull we raised ourselves and he must have bred them both within a half an hour last April. The next day # 49’s calf died of hypothermia, so we’re 2 out of 3 at this point.
My brother Jim and super bass player Mike Dygert, (2/3rds of my Western Spirit Band) were at the top of their game for our CD launch and Cowboy Festival Kickoff party at the South Thompson Guest Ranch Thursday, March 10. We opened for Wylie Gustafson, who, by the way, drove 15 hours from Conrad, Montana by way of Jasper. It was a white-knuckle trip all the way and he showed up about 20 minutes before I introduced him to the crowd. What a trooper. Our new CD, “The Creak of the Leather’ had a good launch. I think we gave away about 50 and even sold a couple.
Blazer
His name is Blazer – the paint gelding I picked up at the Kamloops Horse Auction last summer. He had some issues but we’re working through them. We are planning to bring him to the Red Deer Mane Event where we hope to lead the singing at Cowboy Church Sunday morning. The challenge is to have him stand perfectly still while I sit on him, play my guitar and sing some good old cowboy gospel songs. We also hope to take him to Curtis Anderson’s “Courage Canada Trail Ride” (Saturday, May 28; Innisfree, Alta.,) to raise funds for this important cause. 50 per cent of the money raised goes to The Northern Alberta Brain Injury Society and the other 50 per cent goes to the Halvour Johnson Center for Brain Injury in Ponoka. You can’t help but be inspired by Curtis and his amazing story. He will be my guest on the SPIRIT OF THE WEST the weekend of April 2, 2011.
Heartland’s Season 3 DVDs are now on sale and I just heard that there will be a Season 5. They haven’t called me back for another roll but you can still see Tom Eirikson rope me off the fence in Episode 17 of Season 3.
We’re looking forward to seeing lots of old and new friends at the Red Deer Mane Event. Oh yeah, contrary to all those rumours I don’t think I’ll be replacing Terry Grant on Mantracker. They haven’t called me either.