-
Meanwhile, back home….
….our English partner, Gavin Hunter, continues to breed exceptional bulls. In fact, he probably sells more Devon bulls than any other breeder. His great cow, Tilbrook Cashtiller, had an unbroken string of three top sellers in the Devon show and sale. And now her daughter, Cashtiller 10th, is carrying the flag. Here’s her son, Tilbrook Oz. The sire was an Australian bull, Bongalabi Atlas.
-
Like grandma…like grandson….
….as regular readers know, we’ve been checking the performance of the animals we’ve imported from England via embryo transplants. Our leading lady in England, of course, is Tilbrook Cashtiller…the three-time national grand champion bred by Gavin Hunter. She’s also the dam four years running of the top-priced bulls in the Devon Society’s annual sales. Her son, raised here at Thistle Hill, is TDA Churchill. And now, at just over two months of age, we noticed Cashtiller’s grandson, Thistle Hill Merlin, drudging through yesterday’s blizzard, alongside his mom. She’s Thistle Hill’s Magical 64, who in turn is a daughter of Thistle Hill Magic. Are we on to something? You be the judge. The picture…
-
The “romance” of farming….
-
The waiting game….
….begins again! And this time with added suspense! Embryologist Dr. Jim Evans implants English embryos into our cows….always a bit nerve-wracking but particularly since these little ones were tied up in England for almost three years because of a mystery virus that hit a number of herds and sheep flocks. Looking on are Jane Narrimore and Duane Ard who served as our wranglers. For recips this time we selected from our own herd….our 10 best cows with unblemished records of breeding, calving and mothering. We were determined to do all we could to improve the odds. Dr. Evans was also particularly selective…and knocked out four as not being perfectly ready…
-
Bob Simon, R.I.P…..
….an old colleague, good reporter and good man died overnight. Bob Simon of CBS News was killed in a New York City car crash after cheating death many times as a war correspondent. We were last together at a reunion of old Viet Nam reporters just over a month ago and I’m particularly grateful I was able to express my appreciation for his kindness to my late wife. I met Bob when we were both covering Viet Nam for CBS in 1967-68 and he was still going full-bore at the age of 73 as one of the anchors of 60 Minutes. It was during an earlier reunion, when my wife left her bed at the…
-
Here’s the recipe….
….for that Maple Mustard Ham Steak with Sherry-Raisin Sauce. Son-in-law Bill found it in the “Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook.” 1 cup apple cider 1/3 cup dry sherry 1/4 cup raisins 3 Tablespoons maple syrup 1 teaspoon unsalted butter 4 teaspoons country-style Dijon mustard 1 pound ham steak + preheat the broiler, coat broiler pan with cooking spray + in a small saucepan, combine the apple cider, sherry, raisins, and one 1 Tablespoon of the maple syrup. Bring to a boil over a medium-high heat. Boil 11-12 minutes, until reduced to 1/2 cup. Remove from the heat and swirl in the butter. Keep warm. + in a small bowl, combine…