Gentle readers, here we are in a brand new year ” well, not really ” you are as you read this, but as I write this column it’s still 2006. Like I’ve mentioned in the past, we have to stay two jumps ahead of the dogs when we write our columns.

Okay, it’s 2007 and some of you have made up your mind to quit smoking, chewing tobacco, swearin’ in front of your mother-in-law, and some of you are bound and determined that this is the year you lose some weight. Well, pardner and pardnerettes, good for you. You may have already lost some of that weight just diggin’ out of our Christmas blizzard. Then again, there was all those Christmas goodies to work your way around.

I haven’t made any resolutions to speak of. I take that back. I did resolve a few months back to try and do something nice for others around me and try and make folks feel better for knowing me. I gotta tell ya that’s a purty big order. I got lots of chinks in my armour and they didn’t just arrive overnight.

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My neighbor Joe did something nice for me when he came by after the big blow and dug out my entrance, my driveway and then dug my tractor out of the drifts. See, I bought those two motorcycles and of course they had to be in the garage where my little 2010 John Deere used to be and well, you know the rest of the story. The tractor got buried and I couldn’t even get it out if I got it started until the drifts around it were pushed away. Thanks Joe, yer a good guy!

I, in turn, while removing some newly drifted snow today, noticed a feller trying to dig out a long drive for one of my other neighbors where Joe had dug her out also, but it had drifted back in. I took the time to run over and run down her drive a couple of times as it is about 1,000 feet from the road to her house. She seemed as glad to see me show up as I was glad when Joe showed up at my house. I just figured that I wouldn’t be going anywhere for a few days the way the snow had blown into big drifts. Mainly, I want to be a happy Jack in this new year and I have lots of reasons to feel that way.

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And, gentle readers, I want all of you guys to be happy and productive, in good health and make others around you glad that they know you. Purty tall order I’d say, but you can do it.

I also know in the real world that some of you are starting this year with heavy hearts, disappointment, sadness and a big UNKNOWN lurking out there somewhere. Do the best you can with what you have because there is always someone who is cheering for you and you may not even know it.

At day’s end, when it’s all said and done, I pray this war in the Middle East is resolved, our new congress works with the other side of the aisle and adults will conduct themselves like adults that have huge responsibilities. I just don’t think any of us want to go through another year of bickering, back biting, and foaming at the mouth from our leaders in all aspects of our society.

I will confess that my horses were out this morning when I got up and my tractor wouldn’t start for the longest time and the wind started to blow with great vigor when I went outside to start the tractor and plow some snow. I was very calm when the horses wouldn’t go in the corral and when the tractor wouldn’t start.

Actually, I’m lying like a dirty carpet. I threw snowballs, said some unkind and unchristian things to my tractor. I have always had a little problem with remaining calm when things don’t always go my way. I do resolve to work really hard on trying to remain calm and collected.

Have a great year, stay tuned, check yer cinch on occasion and I’ll c.ya.

By the way, I’ll be at the Farm Show in Greeley again this year, so if you get a chance to come by for the entertainment, I’d be delighted.