Here’s what happens to the staff of NCBA and CBB by the end of the convention. This is in memory of Christian Hawley, just one of the convention casualties.

I think she needs a Red Bull.

One of the final meetings here at the Cattle Industry Convention is the NCBA Board of Directors and CBB Meeting. Both organizations sit at the head table and report on their activities. It fosters a very open dialogue with everyone who’s attending.

I attended the Cattlemen’s Beef Board banquet last night at which they honor the people who are going off the board and the outgoing chairman. I am seriously glad I decided to go because I got to sit next to two of the people that I’ve missed since leaving Florida about 15 years ago. Pictured with me are Grace and Woody Larson. Woody is a dairy and beef producer from Okeechobee, FL. They, like all these people here, are just the salt of the earth and I couldn’t have been more fortunate than to have been able to sit with them at the dinner and get caught up.

One way to get people into your booth is to cook them some prime rib.

This is a human statue and he’s pretty good. I don’t think I’d want to be painted like that. The only reason I knew he was “real” was seeing him change positions, which he does every once in a while.