The Cattle Drive forum is where the drivers get together to complain, uh rather, discuss their assignments and encourage each other. Thanks to the enthusiastic initiative of Johannes de Jong, you can keep track of your progress on the drive with the Assignment Log. If you're tough enough to get through the nitpicking, you'll start collecting moose heads at the Cattle Drive Hall of Fame.

Gettin' them doggies...
On the Cattle Drive, about 18 Ranchers kept busy pickin' on them poor nitpickers during September and October. Seems everybody wants to learn all about JDBC these days as at least 8 long time Drivers were (and will be) keeping Marilyn busy nitpickin' away on the JDBC trail.

Fresh riders on the Drive...
Got a few new Cattle Drivers signed up on the assignment log, all jumpy and chompin' at the bit to drive them doggies. Big welcome to our latest new riders: Barry Gaunt, Ken Cobbs, and David Mason. The trail gets a might bit bumpy 'round these parts. Get ready...

Another moose on the wall for...
Yep, that's right, you make it through, you get yerself a nice little moose to hang on the wall. Well, OK, so it's a virtual moose on a virtual wall, but you can be right proud of 'em! Thanks to the efforts of Marilyn deQueiroz, you can now proudly admire your codin' accomplishments at the recently opened Cattle Drive Hall of Fame. Check it out, pardner, it's worth a wink.

This month Ken Cobbs bagged his first moose on the Java Basics trail of the drive. Way to go Ken! While Peter Berquist was busy a ramblin' down the Classes and Objects trail and baggin' his second moose, Carol Murphy and veteran Pauline McNamara done each bagged their third moose on the Servlets trail. Congrats to all three of you! We're all lookin' forward to hearing some darn good fish stories in the Saloon from Peter Gragert and Louise Haydu, who both recently hung their fourth moose on the wall. Good job Ranchers!

Nitpicking is hard work too...
We know they're workin' reeeeeally hard, after all, we've seen what those assignments look like once the nitpickers have combed through 'em. Hats off to Marilyn deQueiroz and Pauline McNamara for their dedication and patience with the pesky vermin that always manage to make their way into those assignments.

Tips for the Trail...
When askin' folks a question, whether on the trail or in the Saloon, takin' a minute to explain things to your Cardboard Analyst and thinkin' about Asking a Good Question is time well spent. See ya'll on the trail!

Content and format adapted from Ol' Timer Pauline McNamara's original column. -Dirk Schreckmann.