Trip East Coast - parte 1

Me perguntaram onde ando, mas eu já tô que nem sei, peguei rumos ja tantos, que não sei onde parei…`

Pois bueno, ando já íntimo amigo da estrada e companheiro das distâncias. Como meus dias aqui pelos US estão acabando, decidimos pegar a estrada.  Dessa vez meu companheiro de viagem é o Gustavo, da ESALQ. Saímos de Lubbock no último dia 6 de maio logo após acabarmos as provas (felizmente conseguimos adiantar as finals) e tocamos para Ardmore, Oklahoma. Nosso destino lá foi visitar a Noble Foundation (www.noble.org) , a maior instituição particular de pesquisa de forrageiras dos US. Lá fomos recebidos pelo Mr. Ingram que nos apresentou o Dr. Ryan Reuter, Dr. James Rogers e o Dr. Twain Butler. Com o Dr. Reuter e Dr. Rogers, fomos visitar algumas das estações experimentais do grupo. São várias fazendas que foram doadas ou compradas pela fundação que servem de modelo das práticas a serem aplicadas na região. A fundação faz pesquisas e extensão em um raio de 100 milhas da sede, atendendo fazendeiros que venham procurar auxílio técnico. São várias as pesquisas que eles conduzem, vão desde manejo de campo e controle de invasoras até biologia molecular. Os laboratórios são muito bons e o grupo que trabalha é bastante grande. Eles contam com uma infraestrutura muito grande também. Vale a pena entrar no site para dar uma olhada. Para os amantes de forragens, é um bom lugar para fazer estágio também.

De Ardmore fomos para Arkansas e posamos em uma cidadezinha chamada Canden. Nada de mais pela volta. Saímos cedo no outro dia para cruzar a borda da Louisiana e pegamos leste para o Mississippi. Paramos em Vicksburg, um dos pontos famosos da Guerra Civil. A vista do rio e da ponte velha do Mississippi é bem legal, a cidade antiga e interessante, mas não ficamos muito lá, seguimos nossa estrada rumo ao sudeste. Próxima parada foi Mobile, em Alabama, onde somente passeamos pelas ruas da cidade e tiramos umas belas fotos do pôr-do-sol no golfo. Na noite de sexta posamos em Pensacola, FL, onde conseguimos achar um hotel por um preço barato e fomos tomar uma cerveja num bar no pier onde tinha música ao vivo. Estava muito bom.

Domingo, dia 9 de maio, pegamos a estrada para Gainesville, como tinhamos tempo e pouca estrada não nos apressamos muito. A primeira parada foi na praia de pensacola para tomar um mate olhando o mar azul e as “areias b rancas” (até parecia Rosário… hehe). Fomos pela costa até Pananá City e depois pegamos mais por dentro do continente para poder conhecer um pouco mais dos pântanos, ou “swamps”. Bem interessante, mas da estrada só dá para ver árvores e o solo alagado. Chegamos em Gainesville no final da tarde.
Na segunda-feira eu tinha marcado uma reunião com o Dr. Sollengerger, o professor de forrageiras da University of Florida. Tivemos uma boa conversa e depois fomos visitar uma das estações experimentais próximas a Geinesville . Lá eles fazem experimentos com Bahia grass (Forquilha), bermuda, amendoim forrageiro e alguns outros também. Segundo ele um segmento que está aumentado bastante é o de biocombustíveis de segunda geração (baseados em celulose – quem sabe um  novo coproduto para o campo nativo). Após a breve visita conheci um amigo do Gustavo da ESALQ que faz mestrado lá e fomos almoçar juntos. Depois do almoço fui visitar o Dr. Clyde, coordendor do nosso projeto Fipse-Capes na UF. Bela surpresa que tive foi matear com um conterrâneo, André Soares, que faz pós-doc com o Dr. Sollenberger também. O André saiu de Livramento já faz algum tempo e hoje é professor na universidade do Paraná em Pato Branco. Final da tarde fomos tomar uma cerveja no Swamp, um bar próximo à Universidade. Gracias ao André e a Lisiane (esposa) que abriram as portas da casa para passarmos a noite.

Dia 11 de maio, meu cumple, ficamos por casa mateando de manhã e meio dia a Lisiane fez o tal do carreteiro de charque. Que beleza! Nada melhor para lembrar da querência. Pela tarde picamos a mula para os lados da costa leste. Chegamos em uma bela cidade chamada Saint Augustine, a mais antiga cidade dos \US. Lá fomos para a praia e depois praticamos um pouco de windsurf. Foi muito legal. Depois da praia fomos dar uma volta pela cidade e achar algo para comer.

Quarta-feira pegamos nosso rumo para o norte de novo. Fomos para Savannah, Georgia, uma cidadezinha bem simpática, com muitos prédios antigos e bastante verde. Infelizmente não ficamos muito tempo lá por que tivemoos que seguir na estrada até Charlotte, North Carolina, onde o Mr. Joe and Marshal Andrey estavam esperando por nos. Ficamos a noite na casa deles e no outro dia passamos visitando as fazendas em que eles operam. Uma das novidades foi ver de perto os sintomas da intoxificação pelo fungo endofítico da festuca. Bastante feno e pelo visto boa q ualidade de pasto também. Gostei de ver a quantidade de trevo (ladino (branco) e vermelho), a festuca e orchard grass (Digitalis glomerata). As pastagens parecem ter boa qualidade, não sei como é o verão. Interessante é que nas fazendas aqui eles fazem a cria  e por ve zes recria e depois mandam o gado para Nebraska e Kansas, o que da umas 25 horas de Charlotte. Longe mas é onde estão os confinamentos e abatedores. A região produz bastante trigo também. O que mais me agradou de ver é que o pessoal usa plantio direto, ao contrário do que se faz no west Texas. A família Andrey é tradicional fazendeira na região, mas hoje em dia a cidade já envolveu as terras, o que fez eles terem de vender partes da propriedade perto da cidade e comprar e arrendar em outras áreas. Isso para eles foi um baita investimento, mas por outro lado segmentou as áreas de tranbalho e a logística fica mais complicada. Isso é bastante normal nos US, por que atualmente 2.2% da população está relacionada à agropecuária, o que significa um grande comércio de propriedades.

Depois da visita às áreas de trabalho voltamos para a casa, jantamos com eles um ótimo rib eye stake e pegamos nosso rumo para a Virginia. Como combinei de visitar a Virginia Tech com meu amigo Josh McCann, precisavamos estar por lá cedo, ai decidimos fazer pelo menos a metade do caminho na noite (Charlotte – Blacksburg).

Bueno… por aqui vou ficando nesas primeira parte da jornada. Assim que der escrevo mais, grande abraço a todos!

R.A. Brown Ranch

     One of the most relevant things that I learned traveling around and living abroad is that more important than the things  we learn are the people that we meet, because is through them that you learn, and more,  we improve yourself as a person. And is people that makes the life and traveling interesting, we always get to know some good souls around.

They are like iron brand, even for a brief moment of contact mark you for the whole life long. Some of those persons that makes difference in your life and are remarkable where you pass by are  Mr. Donnell Brown and his dad, Mr. Rob, owners and managers of the RA Brown Ranch in Throckmorton, TX. We got the chance to visit this ranch in a Beef Production class field trip, with Dr. Rathmann, a couple of weeks ago (April 23rd). The RA Brown Ranch is a family operation that has been with the Brown’s since 1895. Mr. Donnell is the 5th generation to manage the ranch and has been doing his job amazingly, what is shown by the ranch’s reputation among breeders and cattle raisers and by the numbers obtained after every annual sales.

Our first contact with Donnell was already shocking and  impressive. We were in a group of maybe 25 students and we stayed around him, close to his white feeder pickup and he introduced himself and talked a little bit about the ranch but his objective has get to know who he was dealing with. He asked our names, major, where we come from and where and how do we see ourselves 5 years from here. He asked our names, looking straight in the eyes, repeated it maybe three times and making some comments, than asked us about our jobs, hometown, or anything that he could make some connection. In the end of the introduction he went one by one saying each name, several surnames and also some hometowns. And he kept calling us by the first name until the end of the visit. That was amazing! Making a connection with that, Dale Carnegie in his book “How to win friends and influence people” (a masterpiece of people handling and management that I think any professional that want to be well succeeded needs to read), says that the most pleasant word for a person to hear is his/her own name. It’s an important part in dealing with people. Mr. Donnell is really skilled in dealing with people

The RA Brown Ranch is a seed-stock operation that produces and sells over 600 bulls and 200 second calf cows of the Angus, Red Angus, Simangus and Hotlander breeds. Besides that the ranch is traditional in Quarter Horse breeding too. RA Brown Sr. was one of the founders of the AQHA in the 1940’s and important breeder along the association’s history.

Right away Donnell presented the Ranch’s objective: produce genetics to improve profitability and sustainability of our costumers; and mission (in Donnell own words):“we are always striving to improve the efficiency of converting God's forage into healthy, nutritious, and great tasting beef to better serve His people”, while giving us a class in genetics and looking close to a selected Red Angus cows that will be used as eggs donors.

For achieving the ranch goals and mission the Brown’s follow rigorously three rules:

1.select the cow that best fits your environment;

2.select the bull that best complements the cow  and produce a calf that best fits the market; and

3. select breeding systems that best fits your environment.

The selection criteria used is EDPs and it work better for bulls (more offspring) so, the bulls with better offspring are kept to improve the herd’s progeny. The  fast turn over of the cows works in shortening the genetic interval (not as much as changing the bulls every year, but this technique helps decreasing mistakes on breeding).  That’s why most of the cows are sold with three years. They keep 85% of the heifers for replacement.

The R.A. Brown Ranch is also a pioneer in the IA and embryo transfer (since 1969 and 1980’s, respectively).  All the animals are synchronized and AI breed (helps improve the value).

Annother differential of the ranch is the high fiber diets, even in feedlots, what help the bulls to get prepared to the breeding season, from the pin straight to the field. The lower energy/protein diet also make the bulls grow slower, avoiding any joint or over fat problems caused by feedlot diets.According to Donnell the animals are ready to go to the field.

For such quality of animals they need a good specialized and well trained crew. One of the most important things in the seedstock operation is recording data. That will make the difference when breeding and selling the animals. The crew is trained in the farm and, in case of a new technology being implanted, Donnell also take his employees to another farm to see how it works. With explanation and hard work they are able to overcome the traditional methods of cattle handling. With his experience with animals and the help of Dr. Grandin they built in the farm a amazing and practical working facility, with hydraulic squeeze chute and several alleys designed to facilitate the animals driving to the chute.

That’s not just a simple cow-calf or seedstock operation. Is a really well managed and planned enterprise. I am very pleasant that I get the chance to meet Mr. Donnell and Mr. Rob Brown. Thank you for opening the gates of your ranch for us.

News March and April:

Well, time flies here around West Texas, as fast as the wind blows this spring. Yes! Dust all around! Dust storms and dirty houses. And I am realizing that my days here are also growing shorter and shorter. I had so many remarkable day here in US that is hard to remember all.

But as I hadn’t written anything this last few days, here we go for the updates. First a few weeks ago I have been invited to give a lecture in one of my friend’s Spanish class, Heath Wing. I went there to talk to his students about South Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina and the Gauchos culture. Was really nice go there to talk about where I come from. At the end of the class I gave Heath my book and because of that I had an invitation to go read some poems at the CÉFIRO’S 11th Annual Conference at the Foreign Language department at Texas Tech. It was an amazing experience showing a bit of my art and our tradition to people here, it makes me more proud of the place I come from. The acceptance of the poems was great and surprised me, and i got really happy because of that.

Easter was a blast! I had a great visit of a friend from Brazil, Adriana. We used to work together at the microbiology lab at the Agronomy College in Porto Alegre. Now a days she is living in Florida and is a Faculty at UF. Her staying here was short but enjoyable. She arrived Saturday morning and we went around TTU campus and went to a Heath’s  farm for lunch. Francesca, a friend from Italy also joined us in the trip.   Was a big Easter lunch and we went shooting discs with 20 and 12 gauge shotguns. I got some really good shots, even thought that was my first time doing that. Texas is all about horses and guns. After that we went back to Lubbock and made a really good barbecue with some of mine and Brando’s friends. We had a great time. Adriana went  back to Florida Sunday’s afternoon.

A few weeks ago I joined Dr Brady, the Horse Production professor, and her students and we went to visit two famous horse ranches. One was the Pitchfork Ranch (http://www.thepitchforkranch.com/) and than the 6666 Ranch (http://www.6666ranch.com/), two old big ranches with where the actual mixes with the history and the legacy makes you never forget about the name. The ranches are amazing, for the horse lovers the 6666 Ranch breeds something around 3000 mares (I am not sure about the numbers, but was the number that some one gave me). Their facilities are amazing, with everything for horse training, clinic, collecting stallions, working and race horses and going on. The Pitchfork Ranch

history goes to 1883 and is one of the biggest ranches in Texas. It’s  160,000 acres still under the same family since its foundation. There the branding is done in wagons, in the “old way”  roping and riding their famous gray horses. Was amazing visiting those two ranches. If you are interested, this brief video shows a little bit of the ranch.

Last week I was surprised by an invitation from Dr. Pond to go to an interview at the local radio station. We went there to the Ag Talk with Eddie Griffis in the 950 AM to talk about the exchange program, a bit of my staying here in Texas and, most important. talk about Brazil. Is always a pleasure talk about where we came from, show them with proud facts about our country. Was really enjoyable participating of the program. Unfortunately I could not put here the link for the interview because they already changed it, but I will try to find it again and put in the blog.

Now, talking about school, one of the things that I most like here are the labs. We really got to go to the duty. In the beef production lab we do things like planning management, spreadsheets but also get dirty palpating, measuring pelvic area, collecting bulls, and on and on. Yesterday in the sheep lab I almost felt back to the southern Brazil prairies, shearing sheep.

Another activity that I participated helping in the organization at the Animal Science Department was a High School Livestock Judging Contest. There are several categories of animals (sheep, cattle and hogs, different sexes and ages) and the young judges have to select 1st to 4th place (in 4 animals categories) or keep/cull four and four (8 animals categories). In this keep/cull category, the students are given some written data about the animals that they are facing and they have to choose which one they would like to keep in a situation where they are selecting, for example, heifers for breeding. What amazes me is the attendance to events like this. Is impressive. And they are forming new professionals, the kids are since young in contact with the university and  incentive the interest in this area. Was a pleasure helping Dr. Rathman and the Texas Tech Livestock Judging Team there!

I think that is all for now. See you in the next post!

A book that you have to read!

Some can call it “old stuff”, “old fashioned”, “ancient” or any other related adjective, but will never be able to call it out of date. Here is a fragment of a book that the ones who like and want to study forage, grasslands, rangelands, have to read: Grass: The 1948 Yearbook of Agriculture. As I said before, this book opened many doors for me since I got it in my hands.

John James Ingalls (1833-1900), a Senator from Kansas, wrote “In praise of  Blue Grass” for the yearbook and here is a fragment of what he taught us (for more information about J.J. Ingalls access: http://www.territorialkansasonline.org/~imlskto/cgi-bin/index.php?SCREEN=bio_sketches/ingalls_john)

 

[…]

Grass is the forgiveness of nature -- her constant benediction. Fields trampled with battle,
saturated with blood, torn with the ruts of cannon, grow green again with grass, and carnage is
forgotten. Streets abandoned by traffic become grass-grown like rural lanes, and are obliterated.
Forests decay, harvests perish, flowers vanish, but grass is immortal. Beleaguered by the sullen hosts
of winter, it withdraws into the impregnable fortress of its subterranean vitality, and emerges upon
the first solicitation of spring. Sown by the winds, by wandering birds, propagated by the subtle
horticulture of the elements which are its ministers and servants, it softens the rude outline of the
world. Its tenacious fibres hold the earth in its place, and prevent its soluble components from
washing into the wasting sea. It invades the solitude of deserts, climbs the inaccessible slopes and
forbidding pinnacles of mountains, modifies climates, and determines the history, character, and
destiny of nations. Unobtrusive and patient, it has immortal vigor and aggression. Banished from the
thoroughfare and the field, it bides its time to return, and when vigilance is relaxed, or the dynasty
has perished, it silently resumes the throne from which it has been expelled, but which it never
abdicates. It bears no blazonry or bloom to charm the senses with fragrance or splendor, but its
homely hue is more enchanting than the lily or the rose. It yields no fruit in earth or air, and yet should
its harvest fail for a single year, famine would depopulate the world.

[…]

“Grass: The 1948 Yearbook of Agriculture”, pg. 7

For the complete text access: http://www.grassbydesign.com/pdf/douglas.pdf

Estacado Sheep Feedlot

A few weekends ago Gustavo (I have already talked about him, he is another Brazilian from ESALQ, in the same program that I am here) and me went to visit a sheep feedlot in Dimmitt, TX. This feedlot was recommended for me to visit by my Sheep Production professor, Dr. Sam Jackson. The manager, Mr Beerwinkle received us really politely and showed us the facilities and explained how he runs the feedyard. Most of the lambs come from San Angelo (the Hill County, 260 miles south), mostly black face (Hampshire and Suffolk) and merino crosses. The quality of lambs varies a lot and the days in feed will depend on that. There are some lambs that come from New Mexico, really good animals, that enter in the feedlot with 94 lb and are kept there for 70 to 90 days. On the other hand there are some light animals that enter with 50 lb and need to be feed for 180 days. Another factor that dictates the days in feed is the market that they will be sold. The muslin ethnic market wants a small framed, well-muscled animal (up to 90 lb, against the 120 lb of normal market), with less fat, preferentially male and uncastrated and for that they around $1.40/lb (against $0.95 – 0.96). The main destination for this category is New Jersey. Other normal destinations are Denver, CO; Dixon, CA and Detroit, MI.

The lambs are feed different diets according to how long they are being fed. The initiation diet is 40% chopped hay, 20% alfalfa, cracked or steam flaked corn and cottonseed hulls. The final diet is 87% whole corn, alfalfa pellets tetracycline and mixture (minerals) and is fed for approximately 20 days. To sheep there is no problem to feed whole corn because of the better chewing that they have compared to cattle.

By the time we were there the capacity was not fulfilled (around 50,000 hd) but there were arriving the fall born lambs that would be finished for the spring market (Easter) with 8 months. In the slaughter they receive a bonus of $9.00 for the pelt (hair sheep has no value) and a discount of $25.00 for break joints. The lambs that were there were sheared in January to optimize gain and wool revenue (even thought that the wool price makes no more that covering the shearing costs).

Thanks Mr. Beerwinkle for the visit!

Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo

This last week Gustavo and me went to Houston for the Livestock Show and Rodeo (the same trip that I was talking about in the last post). We have been invited by Dr. Kevin Pond, professor and chair of the Animal Science Department at TTU and also a good and dedicated friend. Dr. Pond has been helping me a lot since I got here in US and one of the things that he would like to make sure I wouldn’t miss was the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. I guess is the biggest fair in US, and believe me, it is huge! The fair is a little bit different from those that we have in Brazil, it’s in a big barn where everything is in (animals, companies booths and attractions). There is no place for all the animals and breeds at the same time, to they make turns for each breed to make their show. This week was going on the Brahman show and beginning of Brangus and Santa Gertrudes shows. We were received by the international committee and got the chance to meet several people from other countries (mostly from Latin America).

Among the people that we met there there is one farmer, director of international relationships of the Rural Society of Paraná (from Londrina), Paulo Vilela. We have been talking to him and said how amazed we were by everything that we were seeing there in Houston, how everything works and how people are committed with the show. He told me that he is trying to change a bit the reality of our country, trying to take hope and innovation for our fairs and class and how hard is it, but he still fighting for it. He trusts a lot in our generation, that we have the potential to change the reality and make thing better, that we can star working together and pursuit the common wellbeing and prosperity. It is good to see that we have people that believe in our country, in our youth, in our potential to grow and make the difference there. We just cannot stay waiting for other people, we need to change ourselves (also meaning start changing “us”). That’s the kind of people that I like meeting, that’s the kind of people that incentive us to study, learn more and work harder to find the solution instead of stay complaining and trying to find some one to guilt.

Still talking about the Livestock Show and Rodeo, another thing that took my attention was the speed that they change categories and build stages in the rodeo. Is a really fast process. Whenever they are with the bronco riding there are steers in the other end of the arena being prepared for the roping and when that begins the bulls are being prepared for back riding also. Is incredible how things work as gears. The rodeo never stops, you don’t have to wait for transitions in between competitions! People are well prepared and organized here! It’s impressive. The rodeo and the shows were a blast.

Coincidences always happens when we are talking to people. I met a friend of some good friends from Livramento and that know my parents also. Unfortunately we were in a rush and I couldn’t talk much with Mr. Patrick, but I hope to see him in the Expointer. Another one was a girl cousin of a friend of ours from the Jersey association in Rio Grande do Sul. That’s why I like talking to people, we always find out amazing things. About human relationships, we did great making contacts there and fortunately we find some more farmers that will gladly receive us it their farms for a visit (one of my objectives for the semester is visiting farms to learn how people work here).

The cattle in the show was really good and even. I bet it was difficult for judging. We just saw the Brahman show (unfortunately I am not too familiar with the breed characteristics to understand better the the judgment) but I wish I could see the Angus and Hereford one. I was a little bit disappointed because there was nothing about dairy cattle. But, as a friend of mine said, we are in the beef area, there wont be much dairies (actually they are coming to TX). 

Well, I guess this is a briefly report about what we saw there. Whenever you have the chance to go to a show like that do it. It worth a lot going. I want to thank the Pond Family that received and hosted us there as part of their family. We have no words to say how grateful we are for everything that you have done! I hope we can return the affection whenever you go to Brazil.

Life knows how to take care of us…

Life always put the right things in our hands and lead us to the right way, is just know how to let her lead us, how to listen and learn with her. Before coming to US an old book, seeming “out of date” end up in my hands through my dad. Was a present from a cousin of ours, agronomist, Gabriela Moura. I got really atracted to this book, that is called “Grass: yearbook of agriculture 1948” and started reading it during the vacations before leaving Brazil. This book gave an idea of what I was going to face (about grasslands) whenever I get in US. I also found several answer for questions that for me where new and unsolved yet. Was a pleasant reading. When I arrived here in Texas I started talking to Dr. Vivien Allen and told her about this particular book. Amazed, she told me that was really one of the best books about grasslands ever. I was really happy to know that and I got even more when she told me that there is a review of that book where she also part of it. The book is a publication of the American  Society of Agronomy and is called  "Grassland: Quietness and Strength for a New American Agriculture” (press control and click on in for the link). There are some books that are “master works” and should be read us, students and professionals, to built our base knowledge and opinion.

Nevertheless, the fact of knowing this book also brought me more satisfaction also. This last trip to Houston we, Gustavo (a friend from Indaiatuba, SP) and me, stopped in College Station to visit the Texas A&M University (TAMU). One of my friends, Cody, had his Masters degree at the TAMU and I asked him who should I meet there. He gave me some names and I went there to meet those professor. First was Dr. Urs Kreuter, who received us with a huge smile when I told him that I was Cody’s friend and we talked for a while about my background and interest and his researches. He is also a very enthusiastic professor, those who believe in the students potential and support for all the needs. Professor Kreuter is specialized in Human Dimensions and Socio-Economics of Rangeland. We talked a bit about how difficult is to change realities, does not matter if we are here in Texas or back in Rio Grande do Sul, cultural influence and tradition is a huge factor that lingers the changes (but really good in some other aspects, please, don’t get me wrong) that some times needs to be made. We got to a point that we realized that often the problem is the approach of the person trough whom the changes will be made, the presentation of the proposes, the way that we try to show the advantages of the new concepts.

After that, we went to meet Dr. Mort Kothmann, and old professor from TAMU in the area of Range Management Systems. Meeting this professor was, I am not afraid to say, one of the best moments that I had here in Texas. Enthusiastic and passionate about his profession and with a contagious interest in the area. We had and amazing and pleasant conversation about my life here in Texas, my background, objectives and about his researches and career. I told him about my interests in forages and grassland and rangeland management, and we end up talking about books and how expensive they are now a days and how lower value people are giving to them as times go towards the e-books era. I told him about that “old book”  from 1948 that I read and how impressed I was for finding so many updated subjects and concepts there and he told me that we that want to learn about this subject (and I guess this is valid not just for forages) should go to those old master pieces, because there we can find several answers for questions that we are being asked today. He also told me how important is to write things down in order to perpetuate the knowledge.

Dr. Kothmann, liking my interest about the subject, stand up from his chair, went to the shelf and grabbed a book and told me: “this is a book that you have to read”  and I asked him for the name of the author so I could try to find it in internet and buy in and he told me “you don’t need to write it down, this book is for you”. I was moved by his act, giving a completely stranger one of his best book. Not happy yet, he grabbed another book and also gave me. He told me that he needs to pass ahead the knowledge for those who are interested in it. I had no word to thanks him but I am sure that I will honor his confidence in this young guy that out of the blue just showed up in his office.

Thanks to all those people that have been helping me to build my way. Those who, with me, are responsible for my achievements, my conquests and happiness. Once I’ve read that success is when the preparation line crosses the opportunity line, so preparation is along your life that we get and opportunities is a matter of create them (we create our opportunities), so is just up to us to find the way and meet the success, no one else. We have to desire and fight for that. This is not something that we decide and from one day to the other we just have it. Being prepared takes long and I think I am being lead to towards the right way.

 

Lubbock, Texas, March 10th, 2010.