Talking with my kids this week about 9/11 and what it means to live in a free country. We spent last weekend hiking and playing in the mountains. After climbing to a lookout tower and visiting with the forest ranger on duty up there, I was struck by the flag fluttering in the breeze. My oldest son saw me taking this photo and said, “This is part of being free isn’t it, Mom? The flag at the top of a mountain like this?”

Yes kiddo, but this is just a part of it.

A. I. Heifers.

Yes, we track the bull and heifer info in a fancy spreadsheet.

But next spring when we are riding through the calving pen I probably won’t have my laptop handy.

It is just so easy to glance at that red heifer’s ear tag, see that “R” and know she was bred to the bull called Redemption.

Redneck Record Keeping, no doubt about it.

Most people are in the stands watching the rodeo. Little boys are behind the stands, practicing for their day in the arena.