It's already Friday!

The thing about working at the Roundup is that weeks tend to pass very quickly. That can be good, in that time doesn't drag at all, but it can also be bad, because some weeks there aren't enough office hours to get everything accomplished.

This week was one of those where things were busy, and my 29th week of pregnancy is gone before I know it.

On Tuesday several members of the Roundup staff traveled to Buffalo, where we attended the 2011 Environmental Stewardship Tour on the Fieldgrove family ranch - that's one of their Red Angus cows in the photo above.

Each year the Wyoming Stock Growers Association and other partners select a Wyoming operation for the Leopold Conservation Award. The award is named after Aldo Leopold, one of the first to champion agricultural conservation, although many operations had been implementing "conservation" practices long before they were recognized as such.

Anyway, the Fieldgroves were this year's focus, and about 125 people went to their ranch for a tour that highlighted their conservation practices, which include managing a burned area for sagebrush reintroduction, dealing with water development left over from coalbed methane production and a goat herd used to control an awful leafy spurge infestation, which had existed ever since Ryan Fieldgrove's days growing up on the ranch.

The weather was gorgeous, the tour was intriguing, and a good time was had by all. :-)

Then, on Wednesday I was in the office, before heading down to the Wyoming High School Rodeo Finals in Douglas on Thursday.

There I just took some photos and interviewed some kids for an article in this week's paper. My interviewees were Wiley and Kellee King of Casper. Wiley is competing in saddle broncs and bull riding, while Kellee's events are barrel racing and goat tying.

So that's about all I've been up to... I've been getting more tired in the mornings and evenings, so I haven't got as much accomplished around the house as I would like, especially on new projects, but I have managed to maintain the regular everyday housework and some cooking. :-)