The 405 Aired July 29th, 2026

What do ranchers talk about while filling up there vehicles in Billings Montana? Listen to O.K. today, and find out.

What is The 405 Coffee Break with O.K. Solberg?

Greetings and Welcome to The 405 Coffee Break with O.K. Solberg

New episodes tend to air over the local KMMR radio station @ 5 minutes past 4PM each M-F. And have been doing so, nearly every week since Sept 2018.

I'm D.J. Rasmussen, O.K.s friend since junior high, possibly your neighbor & this websites maintainer, whom strives to get each episode's show notes written, the transcript proofed and the audio posted to the internet within a few hours of that days KMMR air time. NOTE: recently been publishing most new releases by 4:30PM.

Thanks for visiting and I hope you enjoy the time we can spend together.

OK Solberg: 00:00

I wanna again welcome you to The 405 Coffee Break guys it's gonna get hot today. Find a shady spot, get a cool tall glass of iced tea, bottle of water, whatever you want, something cool. Anyway, let's see what's happening.

OK Solberg: 00:13

Spring wheat $6.42 a bushel. 550lb steer calf $5.15 on the top end. That's a lot of money. And a 100lb fat lamb in Billings, $3.15 to $3.30 a pound. But guys, there's more, much more.

OK Solberg: 00:36

So I got to go to Billings yesterday, and I took my sister, Evie, to the airport. Glad you made it back home safely, Evie. And go, MHS class of 1976. Now while I was in Billings, I did something I always do. I filled my car up with gasoline before I headed back home.

OK Solberg: 00:58

You know, guys, I found it makes for a much more pleasant trip. Anyway, our place of choice is on the end Of Billings, East End Of Billings, and it used to be called the Blue Basket, then it was called Casey's Corner. I don't even know what it's called right now.

OK Solberg: 01:15

But many of you guys out there know the place I'm speaking of. So while there yesterday with my friend Dave from Longmont, I told him a story that happened right there at that pump.

OK Solberg: 01:29

Now after I told him, he said, that's a pretty good story. Thank you very much. And he asked, have you shared it on the 405? I got to thinking. I thought, I'm not sure, but I'm sure pretty sure I have not shared that story.

OK Solberg: 01:48

So gather around kitties. Hear my story. Some months ago, I was at that gas station in Billings filling up my vehicle with gasoline. And I look across from me and there's a man on the other side of the pump. He's filling up his pickup.

OK Solberg: 02:07

Now this man was wearing a western hat, western boots, and he had on a Levi fleece lined jacket. And it was clear to me this man was a rancher. Well, I'm not sure if you know this, but I've been a rancher too. And as is always fun, I thought I'd make a conversation with this man. Now guys, I could have said, sure is a nice day and that works great. Sends a signal. Right?

OK Solberg: 02:35

Or I could have said, it sure is a hot day. But I thought long and hard and I decided and shared this. I leaned across the island and said, so what is the correct way to castrate a bull calf? Should you split the bag or cut off the bottom of the bag?

OK Solberg: 02:55

You should have seen the look on the man's face. It was pure delight. He smiled a big old smile and he said, yeah, isn't that the big question? Now he didn't give me a right or wrong answer, but he was genuinely delighted with the question itself.

OK Solberg: 03:12

He said, my wife won't ever believe that I when I tell her that I had this conversation at a gas pump in Billings. Now I smiled and said, well, you know, I thought it was a better opening line than, you know, hi there. What do you think of Steinbeck's latest book?

OK Solberg: 03:32

Now Guys, this is when the conversation really turned beautiful for me. This man wearing a western hat and a Levi jacket, he leaned in and he said, well, you know, I sure enjoyed his book titled Of Mice and Men.

OK Solberg: 03:45

Are you kidding me? That's one of my favorite books of all time. George and Lenny thinking about owning their own place and, well, living off the fat of the land. Oh, we had us a good conversation that day at the gas pump in Billings, Montana.

OK Solberg: 04:04

And we talked about Lenny who would ask George to tell about the place again. And George would tell. And after he'd get done with feeding the rabbits, and yes, Lenny would get to feed them alfalfa, this one time, George, he says, it won't be too big either so we don't have to buck no Barley for 11 hours a day, and it'll be ours.

OK Solberg: 04:31

And George ends with a paragraph I'm deeply fond of. He says, supposing there's a carnival or circus come to town or a ball game or anything. Old Candy nodded in appreciation of that idea. We'd just go to her, George said.

OK Solberg: 04:49

We wouldn't ask nobody if we could just say, we'll go to her. And we would just milk the cow and sling some grain to the chickens and go to her. It was a great conversation at a gas pump in Billings, Montana. Ah, yes.

OK Solberg: 05:05

And the concept of that story, the beauty of owning your own place. Our grandparents had that dream and that's why we live in Phillips County, Montana. We all remember the homestead, The rural life, oh, it does have its great benefits.

OK Solberg: 05:25

I'll close with a bible verse. Psalm 16 verses 5-6 The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup. You hold my lot. The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places. Indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance. Again, Psalm 16 verses 5-6

OK Solberg: 05:49

I don't think the circus is coming to town, but I do know the Dodson Fair is coming this weekend and I'm gonna go to her. I'm just gonna go.

OK Solberg: 05:59

So until next time. As you go out there, remember now, don't be bitter.