Cows to Grass, Hawkeye Wedding, Tacos

The middle to end of April begins a very busy Spring when your in the farming business in Iowa. Of course there's countless fields to tend to, what with anhydrous to put on, tillage work and planting, but those tasks are a mere cake walk to the process of moving cow/calf pairs to summer grass. Those of you who have the privilege of caring for the sacred cow (in some religions, most notably Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism as well as the religions of Ancient Egypt) know exactly what I'm talking about. My brother and I both have  full-time jobs during the week, which leaves evenings and weekends to help the old man care for 260+ beef cows. Having said that, here's what I've learned with cattle: If it can go wrong, it will-- and at the most inopportune times, they can run upwards of 40 mph is they want too, the only way to move cattle fast is to move them slow, stay away from ones with the crazy eye, and they bring out the best and worst personalities in everyone... much like a wedding!



Christian Ballard, Karl & Stacy Klug, Adrian Clayborn, and Broderick Binns



You probably noticed that the last statement about cows segues perfectly to my next story about weddings. My wife, Erin and I headed to Des Moines last Saturday to kick-off the wedding season and help celebrate her godparent's daughter's marriage. Wow, that's a mouthful! If your still trying to figure it out, don't bother, the important part is that I was able to attend. Stacy married a guy by the name of Karl Klug. You might remember he played D-line for the Hawkeyes during their dominant run in the Fall of 2010, with the three other guys in the picture to the left. All four now play in the NFL: Christian Ballard with the Minnesota Vikings, Karl with the Tennessee Titans, Adrian Clayborn with the Tampa Bay Bucs, and Broderick Binns recently picked up by the Arizona Cardinals in this year's draft. It's easy to see why they were such a dominant unit when the four played together, especially when you get in the same room. They make 6'0, 210 lbs look like a wet weasel. Don't worry Cyclone fans, you won't find me cheering for the other team on September 8th when the two play for the now controversial Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Trophy. Still, it's hard to argue with Ferentz's program and success rate in getting guys into the pros. Best Wishes to the Newlyweds!        

There were taco trucks on nearly every corner in downtown Des Moines this weekend. I'm still not sure why. Maybe it's a weekend occurrence during the warmer months in Iowa or possibly some special festival going on. I wanted to stop at one of the taco stands, but instead tuned into the local Spanish station and experienced the culture through music. It got me thinking though, why not buy an old motor home, paint it pink, and travel around to various city celebrations delivering piping hot cuisine right from the Pink Taco! Now there's a business idea for ya!