Finally Friday

There are a few reasons I am glad it is Friday afternoon.  


1. I made it through the week; a four day work week that felt like five!  This week I was somewhat productive with starting my lit review and planning out the next few months so I can graduate in August.  They say it is the hardest part to get started, and from what I am experiencing I would have to say I fully agree!  


2.This weekend Chasen and I have our engagement encounter lock-in.  In approximately six hours we check in and we are "released" on Sunday at 3. I am not so much excited to check-in tonight, but more so for Sunday afternoon/evening when this deal is over.  I also have become addicted to ABC's Once Upon a Time show and they have a new episode scheduled for Sunday evening.  Soooo excited!!!


3. One week from today I will be at the National Western Stock Show in Denver, CO.  Through the years we have made it a tradition to travel to the stock show with friends.  And for this reason, I absolutely love the National Western!  Cattle, crown and cowboys has become the motto for Kayla and I.  This year we are riding the train out (hopefully this does not become a new tradition).  I board the train in Lincoln at midnight Thursday evening and should be to Denver by 7 am Friday!


The reason I enjoy the NWSS so much is every time I walk through the yards I realize the tradition and history behind livestock production and marketing here in the US.  Through my college years I have been fortunate enough to visit the Oklahoma City, Dallas-Fort Worth, Kansas City, and of course Denver stock yards.  During my junior year I studied abroad to the country of Argentina and had an opportunity to visit the Liniers cattle market, one of the only live cattle markets still operating.  It was simply the coolest part of the whole trip!  Ranch cowboys would drive cattle up and down alleyways on horse back to pens.  Buyers would fill the catwalks and may even ride through the pens to get a closer view of the cattle.  Over 30,000 head were marketed through Liniers per day!  This international experience allowed me to compare and contrast the different production and marketing tactics between the two countries; sometimes I think we truly take ag production in the US for granted.  Make sure to take time to thank farmers you know or work with....in fact I think I'm going to call my dad right now!