I’m playing catch up and at this moment in time I can’t remember a single moment in this new year that I’ve crossed any of my finish lines. January proved to be a tough month testing my endurance at about every curve. It was enough to bear up under the rain, wind and mud each day while executing the daily chores and when my muddy muck boots failed me at the top of the haystack and sent me sailing to the bottom with a thud, I still managed to brush myself off and keep going. It was only after what I thought was just a persistent and pesky stomach flu which evolved into appendicitis and landed me in the hospital, that I gave into the inevitable and realized that January is just the month of doom.

Thankfully we have an amazing office staff that was able to pull together the pieces of my February issue and get it into your hands in marvelous fashion. I’m happy to say that I was back in my muck boots sloshing through the mud just a few days after my hospital stay and I’m working with fervor to catch up with everything on my desk in the office. I’m back in the game and heading down the trail.

While flat on my back with nothing to do and having watched every single episode of Dog Breeds 101 on Animal Planet, I finally took the plunge and waded headlong into the world of “Facebook”. My reasons for not doing this sooner are long and varied, but the time constraints were a big factor. Setting up the Facebook page felt rather strange, I was reluctant to share my personal info with the universe. To make matters even weirder was the feeling that I was stalking folks as I wondered about checking out the Facebook inhabitants.

My dear neighbor after hearing of my apprehension, took me under her wing one evening to introduce me to the in’s and out’s of navigating the Facebook village. Who knew I too could own a farm, purchase property, harvest crops and do chores all in one Facebook game, called Farmville, and if farming is not my fancy, I can collect, feed, and develop an aquarium without ever getting my hands wet. As the evening progressed my eyes got blurry and a strong case of farm envy was creeping to the surface. I learned that I still had a lot yet to discover.

I know folks keep telling me it’s just Facebook, but there’s something else about this new communication tool of our culture that doesn’t set quite right. While roaming around the Facebook techno space I noticed one real constant and that is narcissism runs rampant. When did having it some cases hundreds of photos of yourself lined up become an ok occurrence.

While I do have several friends and family members on my Facebook page, I’ve had friend requests from folks I’ve either forgotten or never really knew in the first place that I’ve chosen to ignore, but each time I hit ignore, the doubt washes over me and I feel twinges of guilt. Then there are those anxious flashes that strike each time I see the number of friends I have compared to those friends of mine that I, tongue in cheek, refer to as “friend hounds.” My competitive nature just takes over, maybe I shouldn’t hit the ignore button, maybe I should be seeking more and more friends each day. It’s just so exhausting. Then there is the other hurdle of just finding the time to spend even checking up on my page. I’m just not sure I’m cut out for this new world of communication.

Getting back to the old world of communication, the issue you’re holding in your hands is one of our best. We’ve packed it full of information, Heather Smith-Thomas takes us down a personal trail with her article “The Ranch Horse,” we travel to Minden, Nevada and learn more about Baldies with an article from Angie Stump Denton, the editor of Hereford World. Heading in another direction we have an informative piece on selecting Beefmaster bulls. We continue with the series, “Them Against Us,” with a piece that I’m sure will get you thinking. Then just in case you were wondering on how to use a Nasogastric Tube, we’ve supplied the answers.

So flee your computers for a moment, slip into your easy chair and slide into an issue, I’m sure that you’re going to enjoy. I’m going to journey down the March trail and take in the rites of spring as it unfolds and blossoms along the way and on occasion check in on the status of friends in the internet community. Stay harmonious, stay dry, and enjoy spring in all of its glory....

HAPPY TRAILS…..