As many of you are aware, we are still waiting to hear that our offer is accepted on the "River Ranch." We made our offer in January of 2011, but the property is tied up in an estate and it is taking time to jump over each hurdle in the way. It is on the judge's desk now and we are waiting for his decision. Hopefully we will have good news one day soon.

She was quite an amazing lady, graduating from the University of Nebraska in 1942, a trailblazer for other women at a time when it was uncommon for a woman to attend college. Her Haumont Polled Shorthorn herd can trace its ancestry to the original foundation animals and is perhaps one of the most intensely linebred herds of Shorthorns in existence. She was an incredible woman and will be greatly missed by all who knew her. We feel especially blessed to have known her, even for so short a time.

After lightly oiling a glass baking pan I placed a layer of chops on the bottom and covered them with stuffing, adding another layer of chops, then another layer of stuffing, until all the chops and stuffing were used. I covered the dish and baked this delight at 350 degrees for about an hour, serving them with baked sweet potatoes and a spinach salad. Try it out yourself - I do not think you will be disappointed. In fact, I think you will be amazed at how easy it is to "dish up" this truly gourmet meal.

For January and the first half of February we would like to offer you 25% off the already lowered prices, making this one incredible opportunity to come enjoy winter in Pagosa Springs. If you are not a skier, then perhaps a snowmobile tour would fit you better. Or just a chance to relax and (God willing) watch it snow. If 3 or 4 days would work out better than a full week, just let me know and I will quote you a price on that. This is a great opportunity for a "cheap" vacation.

The price on the backbones is $1.25 per pound and the necks are $1.55 per pound, and both are packed in 5 to 7 pound bags. If you are interested let me know and I will order some in.

We will not be raising the prices until February 1st, so take advantage of the opportunity to cash in on last year's prices until the end of January. We hate to do this - more than you know - but we also know you want us to be here next year and so we find ourselves facing the price increase dilemma. Hopefully you will understand. I think you will still find our prices on grass-finished beef and lamb, as well as the free range chicken, to be very competitive with others in the industry. We value your patronage and thank you for allowing us to be your provider of healthy, all natural meats for you and your family.

Lois, Allan, Lisa, Dusty, & Angela