“It’s hard to make a comeback when you haven’t been anywhere”.
~Written in the dust on the back of a bus~

Fear of failure is the largest obstacles any of us face when we set out to start something new. In my case, anything that has to do with all the new technology surrounding us these days is my Achilles heel. I can be stopped and held in my tracks for days, before wading into a new computer program. When I felt that I had thoroughly mastered the accounting program for my office and had just gotten on track, my accountant informed me that it was time to upgrade. Now that didn’t sound too bad, until I realized that in computer speech, that means the same things done in an absolutely different manner, sure didn’t feel like an upgrade to me.

What is really hanging over my head these days is the blog page on the Western Cowman website. I’ve been really excited about it and have set up several well-versed folks to participate with us and yet every single time I sit down to write that first blog, I freeze up. Could it be that my computer spell check continues to flag the word blog every time I use it, and my spell check refuses to believe it’s an actual word. Everyone keeps telling me it’s as simple as a journal entry and I can take it anywhere. Shouldn’t there be a blog set of rules, somewhere? Each week I tell myself I’m going to get this done. As one of my co-workers said to me, “You can’t fail until you actually do something,” so maybe that’s the catch. At any rate, the blog watch continues. Does anyone know who invented the word?

Fear of fire is something many ranchers have faced this summer as the drought continues to keep us dry and vulnerable. We have an incredible cover of a Nevada Range fire and Heather Smith-Thomas has written a very comprehensive article covering the fires throughout the West this summer and what ranchers can do to protect their property and livestock. Wes Ishmael has weighed in with “Long Live Mr. Ed”, a very educational piece regarding the ban on slaughtering horses that has evolved in the United States and the groups behind it. For those of you in the higher elevations, I’m sure you’ll find the piece on brisket disease very interesting. Something for everyone!

I also want to ask all of you to stop by the Western Cowman website and take a few moments to fill out our reader survey. Just for filling it out, we’ll send you a very spiffy looking cap, not to bad of a deal. I’ve got to get back onto my own comeback trail and work at getting a blog on the “Porch” page of the website before months end.

I want to let those of you out there on the fire lines know that our thoughts and prayers are with you; also to the fire fighters in our reading audience you are truly heroes in our book. Grab up your September issue, gather up some time, and twirl some ice in a cool drink and enjoy. I’ll look forward to seeing you on next month’s trail when the Indian summer descends.

Happy Trails……