"Through fixing the fence again, you'd think these posts would give us a break but here we are, same dance every spring. Life on a ranch, it's no walk in the park. Up before the sun most days, and by the time it's up, I'm already out feeding the horses or checking on the cattle. It's tough, the weather does what it wants, and the animals don’t much care for my personal schedule. Breakfast? Oh, that's at the crack of dawn—just some black coffee and whatever's quick, like a couple of hard-boiled eggs or a slice of last night’s pie. The days are long, filled with a bit of everything—mending, herding, you name it. And yeah, it gets lonely sometimes, just me and miles of open land. But those quiet moments, that's when you find yourself, right? Lunch is whatever I can throw together from the fridge, usually leftovers or a sandwich. Nothing fancy, just fuel to keep me moving. Had my share of struggles out here, like the time we lost a few cattle to sickness—hit us hard financially and emotionally. But you learn, you grow tougher, get smarter about managing it all. Come evening, that's when I really take a moment for myself. Might meet up with some of the other hands, have a beer down at the local—if you can call a dusty bar a local. Dinner’s hearty, something like a stew or a big pot of chili that’s been simmering all day. There’s this chili cook-off we have every year, and let me tell you, it’s a serious business. I've got my own special recipe, wins more often than not. It’s got this kick—thanks to a secret spice blend that I ain’t sharing! And if you ask about my favorite local dish, it’s gotta be the smoked brisket from Jeb’s, just down the road. They smoke it low and slow, just melts in your mouth. Perfect after a hard day's work, kinda reminds you why you stick it out, even when it's rough. It's these simple pleasures, you know, make all the hardships worth it."
