Jack’s Blog
Read about everyday ranch life and the ramblings and ponderings of an 80-something year old rancher, Jack Varian
All living things are eating or being eaten at all times
Why do I find myself looking back often at my ancestors' earliest times when our somewhat frazzled planet wasn’t quite so frazzled as it is today?
Have I got what it takes?
It’s 2 o’clock in the morning and I had fallen asleep in my favorite chair so it was easier to use the back bathroom to “leave a leak” when I noticed a light black ball at water level…
Want to have more grass to graze?
Then you’ll have to improve your water delivery system. I believe that the cheapest way to grow more grass is to harvest what you already have, that is underutilized because it’s too far to water.
Managing our forests and grasslands can no longer be the sole responsibility of Smokey Bear
It’s time to send Smokey packing before we allow him to do more damage to our Golden State.
Don’t forget we need to keep on living
Easier said and hard to do, especially if a person spends much time listening to the the evening news or one of our 24 hour news channels.
Today can be my “Freedom Day”, it’s my choice
Happy 4th of July, the day we honor our countries inception, we honor our right to choose and recognize there’s still nothing new under the Sun.
The political side of the coronavirus
What I have discovered in the last couple of weeks traveling around checking and fixing water troughs on the ranch is that the coronavirus has even made its presence known here at the V6. How so, you say?
Look who's back in style
My wife being a thrifty sort never let me throw out my old Levi’s and for many years, she would get her trusty Singer Sewing Machine out and with her inventory of no longer reparable jeans she would carefully cut a piece of the same color material to plug a hole in one of my well worn Levi’s with the idea to make the patch as inconspicuous as possible.
I’m coming out of the closet
I now call myself a Grass-man first and a Cattleman second. It may seem inconsequential just a game of semantics but it’s not. Because now my priority is to look at the condition of the land first and the condition of the cattle second.
My algorithm for a satisfied mind
I’m not sure if I have a satisfied mind or maybe it’s a comfortable mind, either way they can roll with the punches and know that someday when our tenure here on earth is over, I do believe if you thought kindly of yourself amongst the living it follows that you get to take this attitude with you when you take your last breath.
Preventative medicine for the soil and the soul
Are you willing to put that doughnut down?
I just deleted myself
“Jack press the delete key and knock this monotonous piece of fact and fantasy in the head.”
Fighting Danger with Danger
I was listening to a TED talk on my iPhone the other day and one of the talks was about danger and how young people deal with it. I didn't necessarily agree with the author and as to how he would solve the problem so I would like to offer up my own thoughts on the subject.
Highest and Best Use
We all need to join together and say that the Highest and Best Use for open space is open space and is not to be taxed out or zoned out of existence by the government’s insatiable need for “always more cash.”
Has my extended warranty expired for a “do over”?
I hope not. For I’ve just left the admissions office at Cuesta College. Where I register for the fall semester taking a course in Political Science which should be interesting especially with all the mean spirited politicians in Congress now a days. Anyway it went quite smoothly and I’m hoping that in this learning environment it might stimulate a few of my brain cells to get off the couch.
The Age of the Anthropocene
My well managed grazing cow who uses all the acres that can’t be plowed produces nutrient dense meat full of Conjugated Linoleic acid that’s good for a person and omega threes and sixes, another fatty acid that’s good for the body and proteins that don’t make fat and sequesters CO2 back into the soil. My hope in closing is that meatless meat will go the way of margarine that was going to replace butter as the health food of the 1980s and 90s and when all the propaganda about the health benefits of margarine were debunked butter regained proper place at the table of good stuff to eat.