“Impossible only defines the degree of difficulty.”
~David Phillips~

The grass is greening up here in our part of the world, and the mud just keeps getting deeper, but you can’t get the grass without the mud as a side effect, so I’ll continue making my muck boots part of my daily wardrobe. This spring has brought not only some much needed rain, but winds like I’ve never seen before. Quite possibly the winds are just a side effect of the presidential campaigns moving throughout the country.
I’ve always kept up with politics and generally have some strong opinions one way or another, but this year seems to be the exception. The more I hear the candidates proliferate the less I like any of them, and the less I seem to care. I’m not sure that in today’s current political process that any of them could keep their promises for change if they wanted to. How long have we been working at health reform, for virtually nothing to come of it? There has been one and only one comment made throughout the debates and speeches that had me sit up and take notice, and that came from Obama when he said that he believed that any U.S. corporation that did business outside of this country should not receive tax perks and tax penalties should be imposed.

Pulling up my soapbox- nothing makes me more irritated than to place a call to order a product from a U.S. based business only to find that I’m speaking to someone in India. I have nothing against India, but I believe that these businesses could easily find just as many people in the United States that I wouldn’t be able to understand on the phone to work for them, without shipping the dollars to another country. Will this sway my vote to Obama? Not likely, but I have to say he was the first I heard mention what I consider to be an immense problem. I don’t expect a let up in my cynicism regarding the candidates and politics in general anytime soon. I think what I really miss is having a candidate that you could get behind and truly believe that they might actually make a difference.

What we at Western Cowman can deliver is a breath of fresh air that comes packaged in this month’s issue. From the magnificent photo gracing our cover and the relevant articles you’ll find inside, to the tantalizing recipe in this month’s Bull Board, we’ll keep you entertained and educated for quite awhile. The article titled “Cents to Sense” takes a look at some of our state cattle associations and their contributions on the political lines to protect the rancher’s rights. This will be a continuing segment as we stop in each of our western states. We also have an in-depth health update piece on BVD that will serve as a refresher course and keep you informed of the progress being made at eradication. Yes, that’s just a small serving of what you’re going to find in this month’s publication.

So grab a warm something and settle into that easy chair with this special issue as we all stride into spring. I’m going to stow my soap box and try to dust off some of my disparagement regarding politicians and head back on the trail that will take me on into April. Stay dry, stay happy and keep it inventive. Happy Trails...