For those of you that are as busy as I am, let me point out that we are in the second week of November already. Wehave approximately 20 days until Thanksgiving, 45 days until Christmas and 51 days before we must start writing 2025on everything. It’s incredible how fast each year flies by and what seemed like only yesterday, I was celebrating the NewYear, getting ready for the San Antonio All Breed Sale and preparing my income taxes. I now realize that I’m going tohave to do it all again very soon.

I would like to think that this year has been more interesting than most others in the past for two important reasons.Personally, I don’t recall a year when the cattle business had the best of both worlds…above normal rainfall and a strong cattle market. For you operators in Southwest Texas and West Texas, this statement does not apply because I know it was extremely dry in that region. But for the most part, Texas cattle producers had a great year. In fact, if youbegan running cattle for the first time in 2024 and you didn’t make a profit…then you probably need to quit right now!

This year’s fall bull and replacement female sales are still under way and from what I can tell, replacement prices are up over last year. Have commercial bulls and females doubled in price? Not really, but they have increased $1,000-$2,000 over last year’s prices across the board. This is a good sign to me; it means that producers are still cautious and willing spend some of their good fortune on replenishing their bull power and herds, but not going crazy to do so.Personally, I don’t think their reluctance is that they’re worried about the market crashing as much as they are concerned about the drought and dry conditions returning. And for good reason. If you have been reading BrianBledsoe’s weather report published here in Southern Livestock Standard, he is expecting a drier spring period. This does not mean we are doomed again. We could receive some rainfall in the months of January through April, but less than normal. That means we need to be a little more cautious. But let’s remember, most of us have a larger hayinventory than we’ve had in the last ten years.

Thanksgiving is only 20 days away and we all know that we’ve been blessed this year with abundant rainfall and agreat calf market. If you haven’t already thanked the Lord for what he has allowed you to have, I encourage you to thinkabout it this Thanksgiving and what this special day is all about…giving thanks and the opportunity to live in this great country!

God Bless The USA!