"A good time to keep your
mouth shut is when you’re
in deep water.”
~Unknown~

We’re all familiar with the line, “Be careful of what you wish for.” I’m sure we’ve all experienced that trail one or twice in our life times. When my publisher/spouse added the sentence to the Western Cowman Photo Contest page about breaking last year’s record number of entries, you listened. Don’t get me wrong, it’s been exciting with every envelope I’ve opened. I’ve opened over eighty envelopes in the last 24 hours, recording and logging in a whopping record number of entries the likes that this contest has ever seen before I’m keeping the exact number of entries under my vest until the November photo contest results issue is revealed. The one thing I will divulge is that this year’s photos are once again amazing, not only in the numbers but the quality as well. With each envelope comes a story that reveals the photographers life and soul. Each set of photos expose a story of the photographer, their family, homes, and the animals they love and care for. My daughter has called me a “sucker” for the dog shots and she is right on target. Even a bad photo of a dog will always have me saying, “Look at this one!” This year was no exception, the dog shots were tremendous.

Now we have to get the photos to our judges and await the outcome. I can’t wait to share the November Photo Results issue with everyone. I want to encourage all of our readers to head over to our website and cast your vote for this year’s People’s Choice award. The numbers aren’t overwhelming in this category but the quality is superior. Keep in mind that the system is set up that you can only vote once for your preferred photo, so vote today!

Returning to the October trail, this month’s issue is that special treat you’ve been searching through your mail for. We’ve got it all this month; in the article titled “The Numbers Game,” we explore how so many so called “high number” cattle on paper end up being really bad as individuals and the consequences we face when chasing numbers remains the only game in town. Wes Ishmael takes us to Colorado on the journey that the Colorado Livestock Association found itself on as they worked with animal rights groups to find common ground. As the morning chill starts to set in, it’s time to begin getting ourselves and cattle prepared for the coming months. Don’t miss the very informative piece, “Fall and Winter Management for Cows.”

This issue is brimming with information with a bit of fun tossed in. We’re going to continue to make every effort to stay on a higher trail as our nation faces these difficult times. We will not attempt to frost over all that is taking place in the world however; I feel that it’s important that we maintain a positive outlook. There is more than enough negative we all must contend with. So as I continue my climb to stay on the elevated trail, hang in there with me and grab a concoction of your own making, find a spot by the fire, watch out for goblins and ghosts and enjoy the issue you’re holding. Stay prudent, stay shrewd and don’t forget to follow your trail to the voting booth next month…..Happy Trails.